Trai sticks to spectrum prices; says DoT responsible for action success

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has rejected the Department of Telecommunication’s (DoT) demand for lowering the reserve prices of spectrum to be auctioned later this year, and added that no one can guarantee that all airwaves put on sale will be sold.

The telecom regulator in fact put the onus of success of the auctions on DoT, saying that the government’s own marketing efforts will have a bearing on the sale’s success. The regulator was responding to DoT’s reference which sought a relook at reserve prices of spectrum in upcoming auctions, and making available all airwaves for sale to maximise government revenue, besides relooking at the entire spectrum sale architecture.